Editor’s Picks

The Best ofScienceon Colossal

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Rare Footage Captures the Luminous Tentacles of the Psychedelic Jellyfish as It Floats Through the Pacific Ocean

January 11, 2022Rare Footage Captures the Luminous Tentacles of the Psychedelic Jellyfish as It Floats Through the Pacific Ocean
Dig Into an Enormous Archive of Drawings Unveiling the Complex Root Systems of 1,180 Plants

January 10, 2022Dig Into an Enormous Archive of Drawings Unveiling the Complex Root Systems of 1,180 Plants
A Rare Encounter with the Elusive Giant Phantom Jellyfish Captures Its 33-Foot Billowing Limbs

December 7, 2021A Rare Encounter with the Elusive Giant Phantom Jellyfish Captures Its 33-Foot Billowing Limbs
Project Stardust: A Photographer Scours Rooftops Across the Globe for Minuscule Cosmic Particles

October 22, 2021Project Stardust: A Photographer Scours Rooftops Across the Globe for Minuscule Cosmic Particles
A Short Film Dives into the 15-Year Process Behind the Documentary ‘Fantastic Fungi’

September 1, 2021A Short Film Dives into the 15-Year Process Behind the Documentary ‘Fantastic Fungi’
A Dive 2,300 Feet into the Atlantic Ocean Uncovers a New Bright Red Jellyfish Species

August 12, 2021A Dive 2,300 Feet into the Atlantic Ocean Uncovers a New Bright Red Jellyfish Species
Spectacular Footage Records Seven Moths as They Take Flight in Stunningly Slow Motion

August 4, 2021Spectacular Footage Records Seven Moths as They Take Flight in Stunningly Slow Motion
A Rare Sighting of a Glass Octopus Reveals its Nearly Transparent Membrane in Extraordinary Detail

July 16, 2021A Rare Sighting of a Glass Octopus Reveals its Nearly Transparent Membrane in Extraordinary Detail
A Minimal Photographic Series Visualizes the Seven Base Quantities of Physics

July 16, 2021A Minimal Photographic Series Visualizes the Seven Base Quantities of Physics
Metallic Specimens by Dr. Allan Drummond Perfectly Replicate Prehistoric and Modern Insects in Bronze and Silver

June 15, 2021Metallic Specimens by Dr. Allan Drummond Perfectly Replicate Prehistoric and Modern Insects in Bronze and Silver
A New Timelapse Tool Reveals How Much Humans Have Altered Earth’s Landscape Since 1984

April 23, 2021A New Timelapse Tool Reveals How Much Humans Have Altered Earth’s Landscape Since 1984
Nature’s Palette: A New Book Expands the Landmark Guide to Color for Artists and Naturalists with 800 Rich Illustrations

April 8, 2021Nature’s Palette: A New Book Expands the Landmark Guide to Color for Artists and Naturalists with 800 Rich Illustrations
A Remarkable Short Film Dives into a Vancouver Lake to Document Tadpoles’ Evolution

February 5, 2021A Remarkable Short Film Dives into a Vancouver Lake to Document Tadpoles’ Evolution
A Caterpillar in the Amazon Rainforest Camouflages Itself as an 8-Legged Tarantula Spider

December 18, 2020A Caterpillar in the Amazon Rainforest Camouflages Itself as an 8-Legged Tarantula Spider
A Compostable Coffin Designed by Bob Hendrikx Grows from Mushroom Mycelium

September 21, 2020A Compostable Coffin Designed by Bob Hendrikx Grows from Mushroom Mycelium
Bees Encase Raw-Material Embroideries with Honeycomb in New Encaustic Works by Ava Roth

September 18, 2020Bees Encase Raw-Material Embroideries with Honeycomb in New Encaustic Works by Ava Roth
Amusing Footage Dives Underwater to Capture Flamingos’ Strange Eating Methods

September 9, 2020Amusing Footage Dives Underwater to Capture Flamingos’ Strange Eating Methods
Watch an Unusual Ensemble of Insects Take Flight in Extreme Slow Motion

August 21, 2020Watch an Unusual Ensemble of Insects Take Flight in Extreme Slow Motion
Page Through a Fantastical Compendium of the World’s First Color Illustrations of Marine Life

August 17, 2020Page Through a Fantastical Compendium of the World’s First Color Illustrations of Marine Life
Science-Inspired Ink by Michele Volpi Blurs the Line Between Tattoo and Textbook

July 29, 2020Science-Inspired Ink by Michele Volpi Blurs the Line Between Tattoo and Textbook
Bright Comet NEOWISE Captured Shooting Above Mount Hood by Photographer Lester Tsai

July 16, 2020Bright Comet NEOWISE Captured Shooting Above Mount Hood by Photographer Lester Tsai
Deep-Sea Exploration in the Ningaloo Canyons Unveils Gripping Footage of Undiscovered Aquatic Life

May 26, 2020Deep-Sea Exploration in the Ningaloo Canyons Unveils Gripping Footage of Undiscovered Aquatic Life
Millions of Monarchs Swarm Fake Hummingbird As It Captures Spectacular Footage of Their Flight

April 30, 2020Millions of Monarchs Swarm Fake Hummingbird As It Captures Spectacular Footage of Their Flight
A Natural History Compendium Catalogs Albertus Seba’s Exotic Specimens through Exacting Illustrations

April 20, 2020A Natural History Compendium Catalogs Albertus Seba’s Exotic Specimens through Exacting Illustrations
Amazing Underwater Photographs Capture the World’s Only Known Pink Manta Ray

March 13, 2020Amazing Underwater Photographs Capture the World’s Only Known Pink Manta Ray
Lake Waves Appear Frozen in Time Amidst the Rocky Mountains in Photographs by Eric Gross

March 9, 2020Lake Waves Appear Frozen in Time Amidst the Rocky Mountains in Photographs by Eric Gross
An Almost Comically Diverse Parade of Wildlife Crosses a Log Bridge in Pennsylvania

March 3, 2020An Almost Comically Diverse Parade of Wildlife Crosses a Log Bridge in Pennsylvania
People Are Knitting, Crocheting, and Weaving Tangible Records of Temperature Changes

February 11, 2020People Are Knitting, Crocheting, and Weaving Tangible Records of Temperature Changes
150,000 Botanical and Animal Illustrations Available for Free Download from Biodiversity Heritage Library

January 31, 2020150,000 Botanical and Animal Illustrations Available for Free Download from Biodiversity Heritage Library
Tiny Organisms Escape Life Under a Microscope in Oversized Puppets by Judith Hope

January 8, 2020Tiny Organisms Escape Life Under a Microscope in Oversized Puppets by Judith Hope
Tiny Ice Crystals Simulate a Halo Around the Sun in Photograph by Michael Schneider

December 12, 2019Tiny Ice Crystals Simulate a Halo Around the Sun in Photograph by Michael Schneider
Colored Micrographs Magnify Pollen Seeds, Plant Cells, and Leaf Structures in Photographs by Rob Kesseler

December 5, 2019Colored Micrographs Magnify Pollen Seeds, Plant Cells, and Leaf Structures in Photographs by Rob Kesseler
A Multicolored Library of the World’s Ochre Pigments Archived by Heidi Gustafson

November 24, 2019A Multicolored Library of the World’s Ochre Pigments Archived by Heidi Gustafson
Spectacular Mushrooms and Fungi Documented by Photographer Alison Pollack

October 28, 2019Spectacular Mushrooms and Fungi Documented by Photographer Alison Pollack
The Dynamic Details of Unusual Plants Captured in Singular Moments by Photographer Helene Schmitz

October 23, 2019The Dynamic Details of Unusual Plants Captured in Singular Moments by Photographer Helene Schmitz
A Dreaming Octopus’s Imagination is Revealed in Her Color-Changing Slumber

September 26, 2019A Dreaming Octopus’s Imagination is Revealed in Her Color-Changing Slumber
A Rainbow of Light Diffracts Through Hummingbird Wings in Photographs by Christian Spencer

July 18, 2019A Rainbow of Light Diffracts Through Hummingbird Wings in Photographs by Christian Spencer
A Field Recording by Phil Torres Documents the Waterfall-like Sound of Millions of Migrating Monarch Butterflies

May 9, 2019A Field Recording by Phil Torres Documents the Waterfall-like Sound of Millions of Migrating Monarch Butterflies
A Group of Powerful Telescopes Captures the First-Ever Image of a Black Hole

April 10, 2019A Group of Powerful Telescopes Captures the First-Ever Image of a Black Hole
Searing Bands of White Light Mark the Ocean’s Rising Tides in a Coastal Community

March 5, 2019Searing Bands of White Light Mark the Ocean’s Rising Tides in a Coastal Community
An Extraordinary Time-Lapse Captures the Microscopic Development of a Single Cell into a Newt

February 7, 2019An Extraordinary Time-Lapse Captures the Microscopic Development of a Single Cell into a Newt
Half a Century in the Making: Tree ‘Crop Circles’ Emerge in Japan

December 19, 2018Half a Century in the Making: Tree ‘Crop Circles’ Emerge in Japan
Biochemistry Professor Transforms His Research into Bronze Recreations of Ancient Trilobites and Modern Insects

December 17, 2018Biochemistry Professor Transforms His Research into Bronze Recreations of Ancient Trilobites and Modern Insects
A Scientifically Accurate Hand-Knit Sculpture of the Human Brain by Dr. Karen Norberg

December 5, 2018A Scientifically Accurate Hand-Knit Sculpture of the Human Brain by Dr. Karen Norberg
Double Helixes Streak Across the Sky in Multi-Shot Images of Birds by Xavi Bou

October 25, 2018Double Helixes Streak Across the Sky in Multi-Shot Images of Birds by Xavi Bou
The Museum of the Moon: An Illuminated 23-Foot Lunar Replica Currently Touring the World

September 13, 2018The Museum of the Moon: An Illuminated 23-Foot Lunar Replica Currently Touring the World
Microsculpture: Macro Photographs of Iridescent Insects Composed of 10,000 Images by Levon Biss

July 16, 2018Microsculpture: Macro Photographs of Iridescent Insects Composed of 10,000 Images by Levon Biss
The Human Microbiome Reimagined as a Cut-Paper Coral Reef by Rogan Brown

June 4, 2018The Human Microbiome Reimagined as a Cut-Paper Coral Reef by Rogan Brown
Macro Infrared Photographs Unlock the Depth of Green in a Stunning Array of Canary Island Plants

May 25, 2018Macro Infrared Photographs Unlock the Depth of Green in a Stunning Array of Canary Island Plants
The Surprising Result of Crushing Non-Newtonian Fluids and Crayons in a Hydraulic Press

April 29, 2018The Surprising Result of Crushing Non-Newtonian Fluids and Crayons in a Hydraulic Press